The childhood that never was ...

'The brightest of the stars in the night sky can't hold a candle to the smile on a child's face.'

As we meander along the course of our daily lives, there is a sight we all come across everyday. A sight as painful, as it is unfair and cruel. This sight is that of a young child, working in a tea shop, or in a mechanic garage, or picking trash.

This is the rampant child labour we come across everyday.

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The scourge of child labour is a scourge as old as time. Clueless and innocent children are pushed into working menial and odd jobs  due to financial troubles or pressure from their parents and as a result have their education and childhood snatched away from them.

        Now while the issue of child labour seems to be one that reeks of repetition and banality, the sad truth is that little progress has been made on this front.

Yes, it is true that we hear sermons and declamations about child labour, how abhorrent it is, and this article certainly does not purport to add to them. 

But has this public clamour against and denouncement of child labour born any fruits?

It has  not.

Now we could talk about the ill effects of child labour on children, and how it adversely affects society at large, and how we should all as citizens of a free nation stand up against child labour and raise our voices, but we will not.

Because in doing so, we would be signing this article into the registry of those 100 others about child labour that would vaguely be tucked into your memory serving no purpose whatsoever.

Instead, we would like to present a few small measures and steps that you could take in your daily life to contribute to alleviating this issue.

The first is to be a responsible citizen and ensure you do not employ child labour. In those cases where you personally know of others who do so, such as relatives and friends, you could dissuade them and talk to them about doing away with such labourers and employing adults.

The other is to report cases of child labour when you see it occurring. It could be to any NGO you know of, or to the respective authorities, but raising your voice is one of the most important things we can do to curb such instances.

And one of the most important things you can do to support this endeavour is to donate to the cause. 

There are a number of NGOs working tirelessly against child labour, and donating to them is a convenient albeit effective way to ensure you're doing your part.

Child labour is an anomaly of nature, one of the gravest concerns of today's society. Any small action or effort on your part, can help change many lives and achieve significant progress. Help us, and never forget that no little effort is a waste. After all, tiny drops of water make the mighty ocean.

-By Anan Banerjee is a intern with CACR, A education start-up working on the problems of child rights,education, and health. Website www.ngocacr.com +Citizens Association For Child Rights